Desk



Dec. 3, 1940. E. s. CAIN 2,223,405

DESK

Filed Nov. 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet J.

Zr 3 I Z'AQLES. CAI/V,

Dec. 3, 1940. Q E, 5, CNN I 2,223,405

DESK

Filed Nov. 10, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wail-" grvuwvllow Patented Dec. 3,1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DESK Earle s. Cain, Glendale, Calif.

Application November 10, 1939, Serial No. 303,785

4 Claims. 01. 45-91) The invention relates to a desk and has for anobject to provide a top therefor, having hinged sections so that thefront section may be tilted at an angle convenient for writing purposes,and a back section which may be tilted at another angle convenient forreading or inspecting a book or a drawing or the like supported thereby.By providing a top having sections which are independently adjustable,each section may be adjusted to best serve its own purpose, it beingsupposed by way of example that the front section is to be used forwriting purposes and the back section for holding a book, drawing, orthe like, so that it may have proper lighting and be easily inspected bythe person drawing or writing on the front section of the desk.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved operatingmechanism for a desk or table top having sections, and in particular,operating mechanism which may be readily applied to an existing desk.The operating mechanism also may be embodied in a desk in the course ofits manufacture.

For further details of the invention reference may be made to thedrawings wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a planview on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view on line 6-5 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an end view of Fig. 4 with a portion of the top shown insection.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 8--8 of Fig. 5, with certain partsbroken away.

Referring in detail to the drawings, I represents a conventional desk tothe top and end walls of which my invention has been applied. The topcomprises a front section 2 hlnged to a back at 3 by means of a piano orother hinge 4. Also the front section 2 is hinged at its front edge at 5to a fillet or a frame 6 resting on top of the base I of the desk I. Theback section 3 at its opposite end is provided with a groove 8 in whicha book rest 9 is adapted to slide. Mounted in frame 6 are two shafts Iand II, which extend across the top of the base "I, as shown in Fig. 3.At its opposite ends, frame 6 carries bearings l2 and I3 for shaft Illadjacent the front offrame 6, and also bearings H and I adjacent themiddle of frame 6. Shaft III has mounted at its opposite ends a lever l6and a bell crank lever l1 fixed thereto. The depending arm of bell cranklever ll has a pin and slot connection l8 with a travelling nut I9mounted on worm rotatably carried by bearing 2| mounted on the insidefront wall 22 of compartment 23, which is suitably secured to theoutside end wall of desk I, as shown in Fig. 1. Worm 20 is provided witha non-circular end.24, which is accessible from the exterior ofcompartment 23 and to which a crank 25 may be applied to rotate the worm20. Similarly the other end of desk I has suitably fixed thereto acompartment 26 through the front wall of which access may be 15 had tothe non-circular end 21 of worm 28 which carries a travelling nut 29,having a pin and slot connection 30 with a bell crank lever 3 I, fixedto shaft ll. Also lever 32 is fixed to shaft H. It

will be understood that the upper arm of bell 20 carried upward inalignment with section 2, as 30 hinge 4 does not permit section 3 todrop below section 2. Handle 25 is now applied to the end 21 of worm 28,which is rotated to tilt the back section 3 to a desired angle above theplane of section 2, while leaving section 2 in its former 35 selectedtilted position. It will thus be seen that sections 2 and 3 may beindependently tilted to suit the needs of the artisan.

In applying the invention of Figs. 1 to 3 to an existing desk, it willbe understood that the top of the desk is removed and the frame 6 withits mechanism and end sections 2-3 are substituted therefor and thecompartments 23 and 26 and their mechanism associated therewith Theformer top of the desk may be cut and hinged to provide-the sections 2-3if desired.

The modifications in Figs. 4 to 8 illustrate how the worms and the bellcranks associated therewith may be mounted in the end wall of anexisting desk without any increase in the length of the desk, that iscompartments such as 23 and 26, which project beyond the ends of thedesk, are not employed. Referring to Figs. 4 to 8, the desk 60 isprovided with a top having a front section II and a back section 42hinged together at 48. The front section 4|, being hinged at itsfrontedge at 44 to a fillet 45. The usual wooden cross piece between posts 45and 47 is 'removed and replaced by a metal cross piece 48 having adownwardly extending flange 49 which overlies the end wall 50 of thedesk, and a horizontal flange 5| which supports the usual wooden slide52. The cross piece 48 is suitably secured to posts 46 and 41 by meansof screws 53, 54, or the like. Cross piece 48 has a slot for the bellcrank lever 56 and slot 51 for the lever 58. A cross piece 59, similarto 48 is provided between posts 60 and 6|. Cross piece 59 has a slot 62for lever 63 and a slot 64 for bell crank 65. The lever 63 and the bellcrank 56 are fixed to shaft 66 rotatably mounted in a bearing 61 oncross piece 48 and in a bearing 68 on cross piece 59. Also bell crankand lever 58 are fixed to shaft 69 rotatably mounted in a bearing 10 oncross piece 48 and a bearing II on cross piece 59. The upper arm of bellcrank 56 is connected through a link 12 to section 4|, and its lower endis pivotally connected to a travelling nut I3, carried by worm 14connected through a universal joint 15 to the stub shaft 16 mounted inbearing 11 on the inside of the front post 48 and terminating in anon-circular end 18. If desired the levers may be braced as shown at 19and 88. A

fillet 8| may be used across the top of the back of the desk to form asupport for top 4|-42,

and 69. Fillets 45 and 8| are suitably secured to the top of desk 48 andare of the same thickness and support the top 4|-42 slightly aboveshafts 66 and 69 when the top is horizontal.

The operation is the same as with Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In order to takesome of the strain off from hinge 43 when bell crank 55 is operated tolift the Whole top 4|-42 as shown in Fig. 7, I provide a supportingstrip 82 which is secured as at 83 to top 4| and which extends to top42. Preferably strip 82 is mounted in a groove in both top sections 4|and 42.

The depending arm of hell crank 65, as shown in Fig. 7, is pivotallyconnected at 84 to a travelling nut 85 carried by a worm 86 which has auniversal coupling like 15 (not shown) terminating in an operating head81 like 18.

Referring to Figs. 4 to 8, the worms and the bell cranks and leversassociated therewith are base for tilting said top as a whole, and othermeans mounted in said base for adjustably tilting said back sectionabove the plane of said front section when said front section is tilted.

2. A desk having end walls,'a top on said desk having front and backsection-s, a hinge between said sections, a second hinge between saidfront section and the front edge of said desk, a base for said top, apair of shafts carried by said base, means adjacent one of said endwalls for rocking one of said shafts, means adjacent the other of saidend walls for rocking the other of said shafts, means mounted with oneof said shafts for tilting said top as a whole, and means associatedwith the other of said shafts for adjustably tilting said back sectionabove the plane of said front section when said front section is tilted.

3. In a desk, a base, a pair of spaced shafts, means supporting saidshafts above said base for rocking movement, a top having hingedsections, a fillet for said shafts between said base and said top, ahinge between said top and said fillet, means associated with each ofsaid shafts for tilting one of said top sections, and hand operatingmeans for said last mentioned means.

4. A desk having end walls and comer posts, a metallic cross piececonnecting adjacent ones of said posts at each end of said desk andarranged at the top of said posts, each of said cross pieces having aflange adapted to overlie an endwall of said desk and a flange adaptedto support a slide, bearings carried by each of said cross pieces, saidcross pieces having slots, shafts mounted in said bearings, levers onsaid shafts movable in said slots, a tilting top for said desk undercontrol of said levers and means for operating said levers to tilt saidtop.

EARLE S. CAIN.

